Human Domain
The Human Domain ''is a broad, collective, and largely colloquial term referring to Earth and its colonial empire. It is not the 'official' name, but is the name used by most of the humans that live in it to refer to it in passing. Its official name is the ''Global Alliance for Space Administration, or sometimes the Space Agency. At its core, the Human Domain is simply a military and economic alliance consisted of most of Earth's many sovereign nation-states which share the initiative to explore and colonize interstellar space. For a real life comparison, one can think of NASA and NATO put together but on a much bigger scale. The only territory directly administrated by the Human Domain is on The Moon, which can be considered the political capital of the Domain. After the Colonial Crisis War the Lunar Republic granted the new organization permission to set up headquarters there in return for neutrality. However, the Human Domain's subsidiaries, known as sectors (not to be confused with a Sector, the administrative division greater than a Region) may control worlds or groups of worlds to act as bases for their operations, most demonstrably so with the military branches. On the galactic scale, humankind's Stellar Empire is a strong regional power. Earth, its economic and military capital and the cradle of mankind, is among the wealthiest worlds in the galaxy and easily comparable to Ichtalu, Periscan or Enoss V. The Domain is a member of the Congress of Madapar, and the closest trading partner of the Maghua. The reformed calendar the humans use is set around its formation as a bookmark. Name The official name of the organization is the Global Alliance for Space Administration but unofficially it is often referred to as the 'Human Domain' as it is, simply put, where (most) humans in the galaxy happen to live. For obvious reasons it is referred to by different names in different human (and alien) languages, however. Spanish: Alianza Mundial para la Administración de Espacio or El Dominio Humano Swahili: Umoja wa Kimataifa wa Utawala wa Nafasi Government The Council of the Five Main Article: Five Sectors The Human Domain is 'governed' by a council of five (this number changes at times) important leaders, who each head a branch of the organization itself. One of these members is issued the Great Seal as needed to respond to issues that fall within his area of expertise. Each of the five leaders is in charge of a division of starships, though in the case of the Consul Prima, he or she is the commander of the FFEL. These officials are not elected but are simply appointed via promotion in their respective branches - essentially a meritocracy. At different times throughout the Domain's history, various other figures have been brought onto the Council in recognition of their political, military, and/or economic influence. For eight Years, the Grandmaster of the Order of the Soaring Eagle was given a seat, and during the Corporate Era of Years 146-204, the CEO of Tritach was among its members. In addition to the chief directors of the council there are other representatives that occasionally step up to weigh in on discussions. These can be delegations sent on behalf of an influential Colonial Deputy, lobbyists working in the interest of a Mega-conglomerate, or ministers sent from Earth countries to observe the progress of the Alliance. Starfaring Nations An important component of the Human Domain are the starfaring nations of Earth that contribute to each of the Five Sectors by building starships. Essentially, these countries have the infrastructure and knowledge required to build Starships. Other countries may have a presence in space, as funding partners of the Alliance, however, and may provide manpower and resources to support colonial expansion. The world's starfaring nations as of 197, with a brief description of their history and role within the Global Alliance, follows, in no particular order. Work in progress and subject to lots of changes fam. Major Powers *'China': One of the alliance's chief members, Chinese is an important trade language throughout the whole Domain. An industrial powerhouse, China provides a great deal of manpower, expertise, and material resources to the Global Alliance. A major contributor to the Exploration Fleet and Engineering Department, as well as the FFEL. China mass produces galleons of all types and escort warships primarily but provides all other types of starships as well. China's technological prowess is especially apparent in the fields of sensors and computing technology. Many Earth-based megacorps originate in or necessarily have a large presence in China. While other countries may have a denser concentration of nanofactories and other manufacturing centers, China has more overall, and is the largest producer of just about all processed goods and the world's biggest importer and exporter. *'United States': The largest single shipbuilding center on Earth, the US has dozens of orbital foundries and is home to the most shipbuilding enterprises, both privately and publicly owned, of any country. The US mass produces mass conveyors in huge numbers and makes up the bulk of Earth's production. Thanks to JS2D, the USA designs and produces a lot of orbital facilities and their space elevators as well. In general, a significant contributor of manpower and resources. Following the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano the United States became the world's foremost expert on "volcanic engineering", inventing the borehole pressure mines now used throughout the galaxy, and along with some other countries provides aid to colonies on volcanic worlds. *'Brazil': An industrial powerhouse, Brazil provides a great deal of manpower, expertise, and material resources to the Global Alliance. A major contributor to the Exploration Fleet and Engineering Department, as well as the FFEL. Brazil's control over a large portion of the world's biodiversity, water resources, and even oxygen production lead it to become very important during the worst of the climate change period, helping to keep human civilization afloat and providing aid to hurricane-stricken countries in the Caribbean. Brazil thus became a major power of its own right. Numerous pharmaceuticals are also manufactured primarily in Brazil. *'European Federation': A relatively small but wealthy and advanced federation consisting primarily of Western and some Central European constituent countries, most notably the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands, among some smaller countries like Ireland and Slovenia. Its economic prowess is obvious from the Nanofactory complexes of Dortmund, the largest single such complex in the world, to the developed spacefaring cities of the Western Mediterranean Triangle, and the numerous corporations that make their home in the EF. France and Germany are the economic heart of Europe and their close cooperation on Earth and in the interstellar sphere is an important component of the Domain. *'Southeast Asian Association': A land of seasonal jungles, nutrient-rich river deltas, island chains, and rampant volcanic activity, ASEAN consolidated a close relationship among its member states facing external pressure from China and India, and this cooperation eventually evolved into federalization. A center of shipbuilding, aquatic crafts manufacturing, volcanic engineering, and a partner of Mariscal. muh ablatives *'India': India is a major economy, boasting the single largest labor force in the world and a center of research and innovation. Indians can be found doing their part in every sphere of the Global Alliance. India is arguably the second power in the world after China, and the two powers compete for influence among smaller countries in the region and around the world, particularly in Africa. *'Egypt': The highly productive flood plains of the Nile gave rise to one of the first human civilizations 5000 years ago, and today grants Egypt the ability to produce substantial quantities of food, perhaps the single most important resource for colonial expeditions. Is thus part of Mariscal. Its monopoly of the water resources of the Nile basin and the demise of the oil trade has allowed it to dominate neighboring countries, particularly the dependent economies of Libya, Sudan, Chad, and to a limited extent Ethiopia, a regional rival. In addition Egypt controls the Suez Canal and thus shipping along the Red Sea, the "world's artery" and exerts significant influence in the Indian Ocean. *'East African Federation' Regional Powers *The Scandinavian Federation: The very first country to colonize another world outside the Solar System, Scandinavia is a powerhouse of engineering and exploratory spirit. The first Starborne, and first Navigator, was Astrea Geirsdotter, a Scandinavian. The major colony, Hercules, has its origins as the very first human extra-solar colony but is also the headquarters of the Order of the Soaring Eagle, which exerts influence throughout the entire sphere of human space. Scandinavia is also home to one of the General Archives. *'Mexico': An industrial powerhouse, Mexico provides a great deal of manpower, expertise, and material resources to the Global Alliance. A major contributor to the Exploration Fleet and Engineering Department, as well as the FFEL. Exports across the stars include consumer electronics and appliances, as well as vehicles of all types. In addition a modest arms industry is active. Mexico is also notable for being the birthplace of scientist Miguel Alcubierre and his work on Warp Drives in the late 20th century. *'Argentina': Major supplier of food products, particularly beef and grain, for use in space. Headquarters of the Mariscal ministry of the Domain along with some other countries with high food production. *'Chile': A large producer and refiner of ablative materials, with a lot of expertise in the field of producing the highest quality copper-iridium alloys possible. Chile's Atacama region is home to a redundancy of the General Archives and in the past hosted numerous observatories. *'Japan': One of the founding members of the Global Alliance, Japan is a leader of the Engineering Department and a large shipbuilding hub. *'Kazakhstan': Following the events of the Baikonur Renaissance and the subsequent creation of the Baikonur Stellar Initiative, Kazakhstan is a major shipbuilder and a leader in starship engineering, the BSI competing with the likes of Acteon Shipbuilding Currents and Xiaozhu Interstellar. *'Andean League': A major and diverse economy, supplying a wide range of products to interstellar customers including coffee and rubber, which are always in high demand. The Andes' large deposits of precious metals like emeralds also produce high-quality atmospheric materials for use in light-focusing technology like lasers. Home to the minor company (non-megacorp) Arpía Sistemas, which specializes in rotary-wing aircraft. *'Iran': Iran is a large economy, both agrarian and industrial in nature, with access to good deposits of various valuable minerals. Iran leads the world in certain fields such as biotechnology and to some extent nanotechnology and is also a leading researcher of new pharmaceuticals based on alien plants and substances. *'Oman': Oman's relatively diverse economy allowed it to weather the oil-dependent Middle East's recession as prices and demand for oil plummeted. Omanis, in addition to Indians and Somalis, lead the colonization of Durre Manthor which brought significant wealth and power for the small country. Oman also manufactures aquatic craft for use in interstellar environments. *'Turkey': Known for consumer goods including aquatic craft, automobiles, as well as electronics and appliances. *'Federation of the Congo': As time went on and the country stabilized and infrastructure developed, and after the construction of hydroelectric dams along the mighty Congo river completed, the Congo's vast resource potential was finally properly exploited. Valuable minerals like cobalt and chromium are vital to shipbuilding and high-tech industries all around the world and in space. Congolese expertise is exported across the stars to aid colonies in the construction of dams and hydraulic engineering. *'Nigeria': A large industrial economy, with a large population and manufacturing capacity, particularly in the area of consumer goods like cars and some machine parts, exported in large numbers to local and interstellar customers. Home to Earth's largest city, Lagos, *'Ethiopia': Ethiopia is the "breadbasket" of the world, alongside the rest of the Nile Basin, once infrastructure became available to exploit the country's fertile soil and an invasion and reoccupation of Eritrea granted access to the sea. A big contributor to Mariscal, its large population base also serves in many capacities across the Global Alliance. Demographics Main Article: Human (race) Just over 20 billion humans live in the astral territory in which the Domain exerts its influence. However, there are many millions of humans that reside under the Dual Confederacy, as defectors that broke away during the Servan Independence War. There is also an unknown number of humans which live as nomads, which are scattered all over the Galaxy. Of the 20 billion, just under half of this number lives in the Sol's Umbra Region, with the densest concentration being the Solar System and the Hercules and Durre Manthor colonies, between them about 8 billion people. Outside of that however population density declines rapidly. Some major colonies, which vary in distance from Sol's Umbra, may have tens of millions to hundreds of millions of people. After that, most human settlements have fewer than 1 million settlers. Stratification The population of the Domain can be generalized into groups. In fact this is quite necessary in order to fully understand humans, as human society is extremely stratified, and moreso now than ever before. In the modern world, class divisions are sensitive topics and lead to conflict, which is sometimes violent. The Cosmopolitan strata, sometimes called Earthborne or the more derogatory suits or plutocrats, are those that live in the heartland of human civilization. While all humans are descendants of Earth, these people most closely mimic the cultures and languages of the homeworld. The Cosmopolitan colonies are the largest and oldest human settlements, most of them being founded during the Expansion Era, and without corporate influence. The most cosmopolitan world of all is Earth itself. Following them are the Colonial strata, for which there are many less affectionate nicknames such as centgrinders, mudfarmers and pissdrinkers. Colonials, while still considered part of the greater Earthborne culture group, are younger and tend to be poorer, and develop new ideologies. Due to the worse-off state of their livelihoods they have a very different population pyramid. While cosmopolitan populations remain stagnant, colonials may be booming; with a younger median age and living shorter lives overall. Finally there are the Starborne cultures, which is just as varied as the other two. These are the humans most separated from Earth in every way - culturally, genealogically, sometimes even physically. Examples are the Servans and Khanten peoples. Asteroid nomads can also be included. Eugenics Fortunately or unfortunately, many human polities practice Eugenics. The biggest practitioner is Earth itself. Any ailment at birth which cannot be easily reversed or cured that is significant enough to impede a person's ability to contribute to society is reason enough to 'discard' the child. Economy The economy of the Domain is a broad subject, and dramatic changes can be seen from era to era and planet to planet (and even regions and cities on those planets) but a few general patterns can be seen. The economy is a web of interdependent worlds trading with one another by means of mass conveyors. Mining, refining, and manufacturing With modern technology like nanofactories, which require only one trained specialist to manage and maintain, industry and manufacturing power has little to do with available labor (as in previous eras) and instead more to do with how many high-quality ores can be refined most efficiently and the distribution and ratios of raw materials to create new alloys with more efficient processes, as well as how educated and skilled the colony's workers are, especially is conductors and available electric power. The nanites working in such a factory also require maintenance and downtime to work at their maximum capacity. Refining of raw ores into the high-quality processed materials necessary for nanofactory use can be done in conventional ways, like advanced smelters and foundries, but also in more energy-intensive but also more consistent refining technologies powered by fusion reactors. There are also Living Refineries which do not require any sort of human guidance and consistently and efficiently produce materials with little to no impurities. These are typically used in hazardous environments. Living Refineries were almost unknown during the Expansion Era but became ubiquitous in the Corporate Era due to increasing trade with the Maghua. Innovaganix technicians were the first humans to use living refineries. The actual mining of raw ores from the ground also has a variety of methods that are employed. In addition to conventional methods like shaft mining, new techniques have developed such as Boreholes which burrow into the ground as far as the Mohorovičić discontinuity, in areas of a planet ideal for mining at this depth. Obviously, boreholes only make sense to build when the planet in question actually has a molten core to begin with. Boreholes double as geothermal vents and can generate high quantities of electric power. In addition, robots and other automated machinery do the bulk, if not entirety, of actual mining, with human workers usually on hand for maintenance and difficult tasks like mineral and geologic surveys (so one knows where the robots are mining into). That said, many mining worlds have large numbers of actual human miners, either due to a shortage of modern machinery or the means to effectively use and maintain them. From a manufacturing and processing point of view, for simplicity's sake, metals are generally classified into three basic groups: Ablatives, which are materials and/or alloys that 'ablate' when hit by photons (thus making them resistant to vaporization), however they also tend to conduct electricity and build advanced electronics. Examples include copper, iridium, and crystalline silicon. Atmospherics, which are materials and alloys that make good 'atmospheric' layers (by providing good insulation against radiation) for starships or other equipment, and are useful components in lasers or computers, such as lead, gold, coltan, cobalt, ytterbium, neodymium, and diamonds (or other gems). Heavy Metals are a broad category, the 'workhorse' metals and include everything from ferrous alloys to tungsten, molybdenum, titanium, tin, aluminum, and vanadium. Note that these categories haven't replaced old definitions like lanthanides or rare earths. However these are far from the only things mined. Helium-3, a fusionable, can in some cases be found in mineral form, such as on Earth's Moon, and is often exploited with conventional mining methods. Carbon is sometimes considered in a category of its own, used in production of Graphene, and can be processed into proteins and amino acids for human consumption (essentially synthetic food), among numerous other applications. Exploitation of gaseous/liquid resources Several materials, which often appear in a non-solid state, are very important to industry and the economy. These include gaseous Helium-3, found in gas giants, Methanol, found in a gaseous state in gas giants but occasionally also in a liquid state on ice worlds and moons, and Deuterium or 'heavy water'. Helium-3 and Deuterium are both "Fusionables" used in different types of fusion reactors to produce energy, and thus are very valuable. Methanol is also a fuel, used for rocket motors and fuel cells in devices too small or mobile to rely upon fusion energy, like drones, shuttles, ground vehicles, and aquatic craft. Food production Fewer colonies founded during the Corporate Era managed to achieve complete self-sufficiency in food supply, lacking the manpower, expertise, and resources to turn their inhospitable alien landscapes into arable land by hydroponics, soil conversion, or other means. Most colonies do grow small amounts of food in greenhouse or indoor hydroponic complexes as a supplement to the food they import from their sponsoring Mega-conglomerate or another world with a high agricultural yield. The older, independent colonies founded during the Expansion Era are almost universally better off in regards to food supply, not as handicapped by a small labor force, poor education, and harsh production quotas as their corporate counterparts. Difficulties facing food production include rocky nutrient-barren soil typical of most dead worlds, alien temperatures, different light level and composition (or lack thereof) and air pressure (if there is air), and lack of water. Given time and effort, most of these issues can be addressed by a sufficiently advanced colony. Soil can be infused with nutrients by means of artificial and natural fertilizers if not totally replaced. Indoor complexes can be built where the climate is controlled to be ideal for the crops being grown. Water can be imported and recycled. Hydroponics can also be used, of course. Terran crops can also be genetically modified to be somewhat more suitable for their new environment, especially with help from the Maghua. Other challenges exist on worlds with their own indigenous biospheres. In these situations Terran plants must often compete with the locals for nutrients, light, and water... and will most likely lose, as local plants are better evolved to meet local challenges. In these cases, colonies often improvise growing crops from local plants instead, however this comes with its own challenges, as alien plants likely have evolved toxins against which humans are not resistant, or at least intolerant of. Extensive research must be conducted to discover which plants can be safely consumed, and of course if they provide sufficient nutritional value and a surplus of calories compared to those spent to cultivate them. In addition, techniques for growing alien plants must be investigated, as every crop is a unique beast with its own needs and cycles. Diplomacy The Domain is generally what aliens see as the government of humankind and thus most diplomacy is done at that level. *'Ishamshuk Empire': The Ishamshuk were the first intelligent alien race to be contacted by humans. While relations at first proceeded amicably, towards the end of the Expansion Era the Ishamshuk became alarmed by the pace of Human expansion through formerly Desan-controlled stars, and put pressure on the humans to restrict their encroachment on the border. The Ishamshuk were also the primary reason that the humans were kept out of the Congress of Madapar for so long, and remain a vocal antagonist even as a co-member at the Congress. The Ishamshuk and the Domain have fought several wars, most of them ending in Ishamshuk victory. *'Maghua': The Maghua could be considered to be on friendly terms with humans. While some disputes still arise over smuggling and sheltering of criminals, and the two races hardly understand each other in the cultural sense, trade between the two races has been enormously mutually beneficial. Thanks to the Maghua, technologies such as Spider Silk plantations and living refineries became possible on a large scale. Although the Congress of Madapar, to which the Humans became party at the end of the Corporate Era, issues an embargo against the Maghua, the humans are known for ignoring this resolution completely. Military Main Article: FFEL Main Article: United Armada Officially, the military of the Human Domain is divided into two branches: the FFEL, which forms the Planetary Force, and the United Armada, which is the astrofleet. The FFEL itself however can be considered to have three subdivisions: the Legion Auxilia, the Atmospheric Corps, and the Aquatic Corps. The FFEL is lead by the Consul Prima, and the UA by the Grand Admiral. There is no supreme command uniting the two branches except whatever is agreed upon by the two leaders. However, in times of war, an expeditionary force consisting of both FFEL and UA elements is called a Joint Task Force, and is lead by a Grand Marshall. The military height of the Domain was in the Year 199, during which several Joint Task Forces were active simultaneously. The United Armada boasted of 7200+ warships, and the FFEL of 115 million soldiers. This was extremely difficult and expensive to maintain however, and the military has never operated at this level again since. Technology The various mega-conglomerates and even colonies throughout the Domain have varying levels of technology. The conglomerates themselves may have access to exclusive patents, restricting certain technology for their use only. Some corporations like Innovaganix specialize in biotechnology, and have attained a level of expertise in the field which is not a far-cry from the organic manipulative abilities of the Maghua. However, these corporations' fields of expertise are hardly ubiquitous. But the two things which are pervasive and revolutionary in human society on a scale which outclasses alien civilizations are the Superconductor and Nanotechnology as a whole. Humans' masterful techniques for working with superconductors and nanobots show that theirs are perhaps the most advanced in the Galaxy. History Historians commonly divide the history of the Human Domain into a set of eras which attempt to reflect the socio-economic and political climate of the given period of time. Foundation Era The foundation era centers around the Colonial Crisis War and a set of background events, such as Andor Bjornson's colonization of Hercules and the failed experiment that resulted in an isolated colony in Mett's Folly. With the end of the war and the signing of the Treaty of Tokyo, nine star-faring nations would form the backbone of the Global Alliance for Space Administration, which gradually evolved into what we know today as the Human Domain. Also in this time, the first asteroid nomads appeared, driven away from centralized authority and sedentary life by war and strife in the Solar System and what they perceived to be a corrupt Global Alliance at the center of it. The first human colony was actually created before the Domain was formed, during the Foundation Era, by Andor Bjornson on behalf of the Scandinavian Federation. This world was called Hercules, and became the headquarters for the Order of the Soaring Eagle. The Grandmaster of the Order held a seat on the Council of the Five until Year 8, when tensions between Earth and Hercules as a result of the Kuiper War resulted in the Grandmaster's position being dismissed. Expansion Era: Year 1-145 The expansion era is the time during which a large majority of the Human Domain's astral territory was explored and colonized. Obstacles facing the rapid expansion of the Stellar Empire were swept aside, such as that of the Kuiper War. Three expeditions, still famous to this very day, were launched. The Blooming Flower Expedition was the first such expedition into uncharted space with the explicit purpose of moving ahead of a fleet of colony ships. It was followed by the Campos Expedition, which established several notable colonies, and later the Ricardo Expedition established a diplomatic mission as far as Amurr. These were hardly the only expeditions launched by the Exploration Fleet however, only some of the most commonly known amongst hundreds. The Grand Surveyor captain of the Exploration Fleet was, more often than not, the holder of the Great Seal during this time. During the Expansion Era, mankind established itself as a respectable and considerable force in its region of the galaxy. While still a second or third-rate starfaring power, humans were expanding rapidly, primarily through colonization of largely uninhabited space. They carved out a niche in the galactic economy and trade routes, with human superconductors and human nanotechnology being highly prized even to alien merchants and appraisers. However, the alarming rate at which humans expanded, which was unprecedented among Earth's nearest sapient neighbors, most especially so the Ishamshuk Empire, who were the first powerful starfaring alien civilization humans had encountered. Diplomacy was stressed and tensions began to brew in the frontier, and oftentimes humans were forced to back down or restrict expansion and commerce in an area of space due to foreign pressure. Over time, these imposed restrictions on trade and exploration caused resentment among frontier colonies and enterprises towards alien empires which in some regions developed into varying levels of xenophobia. Most people, rather than blaming the Domain which enforced these restrictions, blamed aliens for putting the Domain in that position. People began to form mega-corporations outside of the heartland of human influence in order to alleviate or counteract these foreign sanctions through consolidation and strengthening of existing trade routes. This made the frontier more attractive to marauders as much as to traders. The United Armada was in no position to safeguard hundreds if not thousands of new trade routes emerging across human space, and so mega-corporations took matters into their own hands, promising protection to formerly independent colonies in exchange for production quotas. If the Colonial Crisis War laid the seeds for corporate domination of the interstellar economy and society, then it is this chain of events in which the seeds sprout. While megacorps had existed before, their role in interstellar expansion had taken a backseat to government institutions due to the immense risks (financial and otherwise) involved with exploration and expansion. Now that the Domain had paved the way, private enterprise was about to take over. Towards the end of the Expansion Era, the Domain's Surveyor Captains had accrued detailed starcharts of the Four Zones that are known today. The administrative divisions were created and sector/region garrison systems established. The warp drive by the end of the era had reached its second stage of development, capable of speeds of 3000 times the speed of light, but these phase 2 drives were not commonplace until the second half of the Corporate Era (see below). Corporate Era: Year 146-204 Prior to Year 146, mega-conglomerates had, as discussed above, consolidated trade routes in human space and through this were able to build spheres of influence over territory and build military power. By Year 140 there were dozens of mega-conglomerates. Megacorps were forced to diversify and vertically integrate their product lines in the face of ever increasing self-reliance as the corporations kept cutting each other off - in order to provide for the defense of the inhabited systems and crucial trade routes in their sphere of influence, every corporation built distinct classes of warships and assembled fleets and armies. In order to provide for their colonies' (or perhaps more accurately in this era, employees') needs, every corporation had to invest in infrastructure to produce and distribute food and water in addition to the complex logistical network each conglomerate already maintained. As a result, the megacorp perspective of their 'protectorates' had changed into an even tighter master-subject relationship. Megacorps had invested a lot of money into their new employees and so saw fit to take liberties to ensure their interests in the colonies were being protected. Megacorps would outright replace colonial deputies at will if they saw reason to, as well as intervention in a colony's economy in order to bail them out of trouble - if the colony was important enough to warrant such aid. This was the biggest change of the Corporate Era: in the Expansion Era most colonies were independent creations of the Exploration Fleet expeditions. Now, they were corporate puppets, with most being entirely dependent on their mega-conglomerate employers for protection and prosperity. However it became clear that the warships the corporations were building could be used for much more than just protecting trade routes and their new employees. They could be used for power projection into a competitor's sphere of influence - to destroy the other guy's trade routes and subjugate the other guy's employees. To gain power through commercial conquest. High-intensity economic competition soon became little more than a sideshow of actual warfare, and the corporations waged wars against each other on a scale never before seen by human eyes. Corporations hired the marauders they once sought to protect against to attack their competitors along with direct attacks. By Year 146, things had escalated, and the political climate of the Human Domain was about to dramatically change. Trade Guilds and Tritach's Rise to Power As megacorps vertically integrated their production lines in order to generate revenue, provide for their own employees, and defend their interests and project power, some grew to not see every other megacorp as a potential threat or competitor but even business partners and military allies. What started as loose interactions between two or three megacorps took only a few short years to turn into the first trade guild: the Earth Partnership, made up of the oldest mega-conglomerates. In a near panicked response, the Market Coalition came together to oppose the Earth Partnership. The remaining powerful megacorps formed the last of the trade guilds, headed by Tritach itself, the Profit Communion. Trade guilds are commercial and military alliances acting almost like loose confederations of corporations. Corporations in the same trade guild make a promise not to directly compete with one another in the same regions of space, to collaborate on regional projects and make mutual defense agreements, as well as obligating the RCEOs under their command to maintain and enforce the trade guild's laws. When it comes to other trade guilds however, there are little to no rules regarding competition. All three trade guilds are locked in constant wars of domination with one another, vying for a total monopoly. In Year 146, according to historians, the Corporate Era began with the appointment of the CEO of Tritach to the Council of the Five. While the CEO was never granted the Great Seal (during the Corporate Era, this honor was usually bestowed upon the Consul Prima), Tritach became the most politically influential of all mega-conglomerates. He attained this position due to Tritach's chokehold on the supply of Dark Matter in the entire Human Domain. None of the other council members would be able to carry out their duties without consulting Tritach on the logistical capacity of the fuel supply. With a seat on the council, Tritach's CEO manipulated the very Domain itself - meaning the Domain largely ignored Tritach's crimes such as the Solovh Massacre and later the Rubiya Massacre when considering intervention against the Dual Confederacy. Tritach nearly singlehandedly was able to force the United Armada's hand, bringing a Joint Task Force to fight the Servans in distant Mett's Folly. In other words, Tritach singlehandedly started the Servan Independence War as we know it today. The relative lack of regulation of megacorp influence resulted in a massive wealth gap, artificial scarcity and poverty and destitution on human frontiers. The Corporate Era was truly a low point in human history - filled to the brim with war, corruption, and strife. Consul Prima Weyland and Military Reform One saving grace of the Corporate Era was Consul Prima Weyland. He was the Consul Prima of the FFEL from AD 2401 (Year 186) to AD 2418 (Year 203). During his tenure as Consul Prima, he was issued the Great Seal, making him the final executive authority in the Domain's politics (in practice however this power is more limited due to the other officials on the Council of the Five). Weyland was always a reluctant ruler, who was unsure he wanted to receive the Seal, and ready to hand it over to anyone else who volunteered for the job... if that were the only qualification necessary. Nonetheless, Weyland was diligent, methodical, calculating, and wise, and used his authority and charisma to carry the Domain through its darkest hour. Despite being a military man, Weyland tried his hardest to avoid war, but three times his hand was forced, and three times he sought the best outcome possible and that was - usually - through victory. A lasting legacy of his tenure was, in collaboration with the Grand Admiral of the United Armada, a complete organizational overhaul of the Domain's armed forces in order to make it a more efficient, robust, and effective fighting force, to meet the unique demands of interstellar warfare. Prior to Weyland there had been two large-scale wars which most exemplified the vulnerability of the then-present state of the armed forces: the First Ishamsho-Human War ending in Year 113, and the Second Ishamsho-Human War ending in Year 144. In both wars, the humans were defeated and forced to make concessions to the much older and more experienced Ishamshuk Empire. Even in situations of great numerical superiority, human ground forces and warships were summarily routed. Standing toe-to-toe with the Ishamshuk seemed impossible - until Weyland took the reins of the military and restructured it. First, and perhaps most significant of all, Weyland assigned maniples and battlefleets under a system of mobilization categories. Category 'A' units were to be deployed in high-risk, high-priority areas in the heartland as well as frontier, where wars were likely and units had to be combat-ready at all times. While Category 'B' units were in lower-priority areas where conflict was perhaps likely but not imminent, and maintained 75-80% combat readiness at all times, meaning they could take anywhere from a couple weeks to a full month to mobilize. Finally, Category 'C' units maintained 25-50% combat readiness, which meant up to three month mobilization times. This had the effect of dramatically reducing maintenance costs for the Domain's armed services, enabling it to fight with greater efficiency on wider fronts. Thanks to this, three powerful joint task forces could be assembled simultaneously at the expense of the readiness of units which were not needed immediately. If that had been all that Weyland did, however, his reforms would not have lead to a much stronger military, only a more flexible one. His second policy, like all of his others, was in collaboration with the Grand Admiral, to bring about a new system for the United Armada Commissions which had been, since the Kuiper War, the main catalyst for new developments in doctrine and in weapons technology. Before, starfaring countries on Earth would compete with one another to provide products to meet the outlined specifications of the commission to the best of their capability, and the many different products would be tested against the other. Weyland brought a tradition of cooperation, at least among countries willing to cooperate, improving the quality of products submitted to meet the commission, as well as starting to accept submissions from colonies outside Earth, who were beginning to develop military infrastructure sufficient to compete with starfaring countries on the homeworld. While a relatively simple reform, it lead to better quality equipment, weaponry, vehicles, and warships. Under Weyland's tenure, the United Armada made four very valuable commissions. But high quality equipment was only part of the story. While the commissions were also responsible for the raising of new maniples and therefore the rank-and-file manpower of the FFEL, leadership was often provided by the Mars Military Academy. Weyland restructured the curriculum of the military academy to fit lessons learned from previous wars and to integrate it with he and the Grand Admiral's new doctrine. Over time this lead to the increased reputation of the United Armada as a career choice for the best and brightest while the FFEL was more of a neglected necessity. In addition, Weyland ordered training operations on Venus be stepped up in order to improve combat performance on worlds where Ishamshuk thrive. Intervention in the Alliance War Just as Weyland's crucial military reforms began to be put into effect, the Human Domain was about to face its first major interstellar conflict. Rather than the short limited wars which had been fought twice with the Ishamshuk Empire or intervention in various human wars at the urging of the mega-conglomerates, the Alliance War was a conflict of galactic proportion. It inevitably involved distant human colonies, in particular those in the Campos' Stars Region, Mercuria and Scatha, which formed MERSCA. Victory at Polaris Following the Ishamshuk Empire's withdrawal from the First Coalition, a third war with the Human Domain broke out in the Polaris star system. Servan Independence War Corporate Decline and Fall of Tritach Serva had successfully, despite the efforts of the Joint Task Force and Tritach's armed forces, split away from corporate and Domain control and set about building its own empire. In addition, independents and colonial deputies alike throughout the entire Domain had had enough of Corporate meddling and domination and the very network which allowed corporations to thrive as they had was starting to fall apart. Smaller independence movements took place throughout the empire, and despite Tritach's political pressure, the Domain never agreed to help the corporations subjugate these secessionists apart from that of Serva, due in large part to the military's over-extension (due to the ongoing Alliance War and Polaris War of that time, in addition to the recent defeat against the Servans). Angered by this, Tritach carried out its threats to skyrocket dark matter prices and choke the Domain and indeed all of mankind's interstellar civilization, in order to force the Consul Prima into cooperating. This ignited the Dark Matter Crisis War on Earth and indeed the Solar System, as the starfaring countries of Earth started skirmishing against one another on Earth's surface and beyond. But the Domain's council did not buckle to Tritach's demands and turned to Durre Manthor for help in procuring enough dark matter to maintain the warfleets. In retaliation, Tritach mustered its largest and most modern task force, in total numbering in the hundreds of warships, and attacked Durre Manthor. They devastated the colony and took control of its dark matter harvesting platforms. The Domain therefore officially declared war. Tritach then put its fleet into position to strike the Solar System and Earth itself. As Tritach's warfleet came to Earth's orbit, they prioritized The Moon as a strategic objective, due to the importance of controlling the moon if one wanted to force Earth to surrender. The Lunar Republic, while in agreement with the Domain to be neutral in Domain wars and to be a separate entity from the Domain entirely, did not take a liking to being occupied by yet another foreign conqueror. The Mare Primaris and Mare Secundus lunar laser batteries proceeded to blow the Tritach warfleet out of the sky and force what little remained to retreat. With the strongest megacorp's most powerful warfleet now put out of action, the Profit Communion began to suffer as a whole. Mega-conglomerates would never reach this height of their power ever again, bringing the Corporate Era to grisly end. Admiralty Era: Year 204-284 The Consul Prima of the FFEL had been given the Great Seal for just over half a century, but it was clear that the United Armada was the most important political organization. The army had had its merits and these were exemplified most elegantly by Weyland, but in truth every other organization depended on the United Armada as far back as the Expansion Era, and needed to work closely with the Grand Admiral to truly get anything done. The Admiralty Era is the beginning of a series of Grand Admirals receiving the Great Seal, a sequence which was only interrupted a few times up to the present day. A massive fleet was inherited after the Corporate era. However, it now had no major conflicts to fight in and was sitting idle. After some 1500 warships were dismantled, sold for scrap, or mothballed, the rest were updated and put to use projecting power through the Domain. In doing so, they replaced the corporations in the role of protecting commercial shipping and colonies in general. Category:Races Category:Featured article Category:Stellar Empires Category:Human empires